Michigan Rep. Justin Amash will not seek reelection to his U.S. House seat.
Amash, a former Republican who joined the Libertarian Party in April, confirmed reports that he was not campaigning for the upcoming election on Thursday. Amash left the GOP and took significant backlash from the party for supporting President Trump’s impeachment last year.
“I love representing our community in Congress. I always will. This is my choice, but I’m still going to miss it. Thank you for your trust,” Amash tweeted late Thursday night.
I love representing our community in Congress. I always will. This is my choice, but I’m still going to miss it.
Thank you for your trust.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) July 17, 2020
The official Twitter account for the Libertarian Party responded to Amash’s tweet, seemingly adding further confirmation that the U.S. representative’s career in the House is ending, at least for now.
“It’s been an honor being represented by someone of your character in the House, Congressman. Let’s work to ensure that qualified immunity is dealt a serious blow on your way out,” the Libertarian account said.
It's been an honor being represented by someone of your character in the House, Congressman. Let's work to ensure that qualified immunity is dealt a serious blow on your way out 💪
— Libertarian Party (@LPNational) July 17, 2020
Amash announced his decision not to run for reelection shortly after ending a bid for president on the Libertarian Party ticket that never really got off the ground. After launching an exploratory committee to assess his chances at running a successful campaign against President Trump and the Democratic nominee, Amash told his followers and supporters on May 16 that “circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate”
“I’ve been speaking directly to delegates about this opportunity for only a short time, but these conversations have solidified my belief that the Libertarian Party is well positioned to become a major and consistent contender to win elections at all levels of government,” he added. “I remain invested in helping the party realize these possibilities and look forward to the successes ahead.”
Amash announced he was leaving the Republican Party on July 4 last year in an op-ed for The Washington Post. The five-term congressman culled himself from the party after claiming that Trump had committed “impeachable conduct,” which earned him stiff backlash from many of his own supporters.
Amash later sided with Democrats to vote to impeach Trump in December on charges of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power, neither defined as crimes under U.S. legal codes. Amash’s vote in the House was the only non-Democratic vote cast in support of the impeachment articles.
The charges stemmed from a phone call Trump shared with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Democrats claimed Trump held up aid to Ukraine to secure investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden, now the presumptive Democratic nominee. Biden and his son, Hunter, have denied questions of corruption stemming from the former vice president’s work with Ukraine under the Obama administration while Hunter sat on the board of an Ukrainian energy company.
The Senate later acquitted Trump of both charges.
As The Daily Wire reported at the time:
President Donald Trump was acquitted from both of House Democrats’ partisan articles of impeachment on Tuesday when Senators cast their votes in the impeachment trial.
On the first article of impeachment on abuse of power, Trump was acquitted in a 52-48 vote.